West Bengal - The Purbottar

17 Jan

Vande Bharat Sleeper Debuts: PM Modi Launches Faster Overnight Rail Link Between Eastern India and Northeast

Sonakshi SarkarWest Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train, marking a major step in long-distance railway travel in India. The new service will connect Howrah with Guwahati (Kamakhya) and is expected to make travel between eastern India and the Northeast faster and more comfortable. The inaugural run of the sleeper train was flagged off from Malda, where the Prime Minister addressed officials and reviewed key railway initiatives. Along with the forward journey, Modi also virtually flagged off the return Guwahati–Howrah service, signalling the formal start of operations on the busy route. According to a…

08 Oct

West Bengal Delivers Coordinated Diplomacy After Cross-Border Tragedy

Mohini BarmanWest Bengal

In the flood-stricken hills of North Bengal, authorities recovered the bodies of five Nepalese nationals and at least one Bhutanese citizen. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state’s Chief Secretary will coordinate with both the central government and the embassies of Nepal and Bhutan to ensure diplomatic assistance and repatriation. The victims were found in riverine and forested areas near Manebhanjan (for Nepalese) and Nagrakata (for Bhutanese connections). For Indian, Nepali, and Bhutanese media, this incident underscores shared vulnerabilities in cross-border flood zones and the importance of diplomatic cooperation and disaster preparedness across eastern Himalaya regions.

01 Jul

Shoot Chaos: Tollywood Technicians Refuse Work With Anirban Bhattacharya

Purbalee DuttaEntertainment, Kolkata, West Bengal

Anirban Bhattacharya, is a very well-known actor-director, but unfortunately enough and currently is involved in a developing disagreement with film technicians in Tollywood, which has resulted in recurrent delays to the filming of his music videos. The Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India has allegedly threatened "lifelong non-cooperation" against people, including Bhattacharya, who have sued the Federation in the Calcutta High Court. The growing tensions reached a peak on Monday, when Bhattacharya convened a news conference at Yogesh Mime Academy at midday. He highlighted the fact that shooting for his music video did get halted since he…

30 Jun

Kolkata Metro Trains Delayed Due To Severe Waterlogging From Rain

Purbalee DuttaIndia, Kolkata, weather, West Bengal

Metro services in Kolkata were affected on Monday due to heavy rain and waterlogging, creating significant discomfort for passengers. Services between Mahatma Gandhi Road and Park Street were interrupted, leaving numerous trains stranded and forcing passengers to find alternate transportation. The interruption was caused by a ruptured water pipe between Jatin Das Park and Netaji Bhavan stations, which occurred between 3:40 and 4:35 pm. Overcrowding was reported at many stations, and Maidan's escalators were closed owing to pressure. This comes just two days after a similar event on Saturday, when water overflowed the drainage canal between tracks, causing a brief…

23 Apr

Thousands of hill families benefit from central schemes

Sonakshi SarkarWest Bengal

Urban development in the hills and plains of West Bengal has received a major push under the central government’s flagship programmes; the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM). According to Member of Parliament Raju Bista, both Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts have seen significant improvements in housing and livelihood support for urban poor and marginalised communities over the past few years. Under the PMAY-U scheme, which aims to provide secure and affordable housing to urban families, Darjeeling district has had a total of 16,121 houses sanctioned since 2019. Out…

16 Nov

In Belakoba three-day ‘Bangla Moder Gorbo’ event begins

Ashish MajumderNorth Bengal

The three-day ‘Bangla Moder Gorbo’ event, initiated by the West Bengal Government, actually commenced today at the Belakoba Public Club ground in Rajganj block. Actually organized by the state’s Information and Culture Department, the event will run from November 15 to 17, featuring fairs, exhibitions, expos, and cultural programs. In fact the inauguration on Friday began with a grand procession, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Jalpaiguri District Magistrate Shama Parveen, Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Umesh Ganpath Khandbahale, and Rajganj MLA Khageswar Roy. Also other dignitaries present at the event included Jalpaiguri Sadar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Tomojeet Chakraborty,…

11 Nov

Today is the last day of the WB ANM GNM Round 1 Choice Filling and Locking Process

editorWest Bengal

Today, November 11, 2024, the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) will wrap up the round 1 choice filling and locking procedure for admission to the state of West Bengal's Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) and General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) programs. Students must finish the preference form before the deadline if they finished the registration procedure ahead of schedule. All qualified students are still able to apply for the WB Nursing round 1 option filling and locking 2024. Instead of waiting for the option filling deadline, students are advised to finish the procedures as soon as feasible. Throughout the…

31 Oct

Recently to address the drinking water problem for pedestrians and local residentsthe Lower Bagdogra Gram Panchayat has initiated a project

Ashish MajumderNorth Bengal

Recently the Lower Bagdogra Gram Panchayat has initiated a project to address the drinking water problem for pedestrians and local residents. Actually a purified drinking water facility has been constructed on National Highway Authority land beneath the flyover at Bagdogra Bihar More, funded entirely by the Gram Panchayat at a cost of approximately Rs 3 lakhs. In fact Naxalbari Panchayat Samiti Sabhapati Anand Ghosh officially inaugurated the project on Wednesday, with Lower Bagdogra Gram Panchayat Upa Pradhan Biswajit Ghosh, Local Panchayat Sona Ghosh, and other officials in attendance. During the inauguration, Anand Ghosh actually highlighted that many people wait for…

25 Oct

Over pending wages at Naxalbari Tea Estate Tea workers stage protest

Ashish MajumderNorth Bengal

On Friday, the workers at Naxalbari Tea Estate actually staged a protest today demanding their pending wages. Actually the workers claimed they usually receive their weekly pay through bank transfers, but the management has withheld their wages for the past two weeks. Despite multiple attempts to address the issue with the authorities, the workers reported no resolution. Consequently, approximately 600 laborers had joined the protest. In fact as a result of the demonstration, tea plucking activities in the garden were temporarily halted. In response, the management actually stated that the workers’ pending wages had been sent to the bank. However,…

25 Sep

Recently a tree collapsed in front of the emergency department of Naxalbari Rural Hospital

Ashish MajumderNorth Bengal

Recently a large, aged tree collapsed late at night in front of the emergency department of Naxalbari Rural Hospital, following heavy rain. Reportedly, the fallen tree actually blocked the entrance to the emergency department. In fact authorities were alerted immediately, and the Naxalbari police responded by notifying the Tukriajhar Forest Department and Naxalbari Fire Department. Actually the tree was later cut and removed to clear the area. Hospital sources confirmed that despite the incident, medical services at the emergency department remained unaffected. This is actually very serious news and we need to take it seriously so that big accident does…